Safari Honeymoon
by Jesse Jacobs
(Koyama Press)
Well, now I am completely convinced that Jesse Jacobs is trying to fuck with us. Or maybe it’s Koyama Press for putting this book out. You know I can’t quit you, Koyama.
But honestly, having read Jacobs’ previous work (By This You Shall Know Him), I should actually be thankful that this is Jesse Jacobs’ more grounded work of the two. Not that that’s a good thing. While the narrative of By This You Shall Know Him is so far out it’s literally in outer space (literally), Safari Honeymoon is actually quite easy to follow. A couple goes off to some exotic honeymoon in a very dangerous planet. As you can imagine, things go awry, and this is mostly due to the buffoonery of the honeymooners.
Although the book is pretty short, there are several themes which Jacobs’ explores in Safari Honeymoon, such as the privileged class, the wonders of biology (Jacob’s strange creatures are grounded on actual Earthly parasitic behavior), gender roles, and entitlement. Illustrated in Jacobs’ highly simplistic yet highly detailed art style, the colors are eye-catching and vivid and every line counts. Every page is wonderful to behold, especially considering that the characters in the book are surrounded by every horror imaginable that this foreign planet has to offer.
It’s not a matter of whether you’ll get it or not, Jacobs has once again put together beautiful work that’s worthwhile, and so unique that it will have you talking for quite some time. Seriously, you won’t find anything else like it out this year.
